Seas 
-MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 31 
that were not injured, or that were injured the least, I caused 
a circular letter to be published in the Farmers’ Union of 
May 24th, 1873. In reply a number of communications were 
received from different parts of the State, and many others 
have reported through the columns of the Union. From this 
correspondence I am enabled to report that the Duchess of 
Oldenburg and Tetofsky are damaged the least. 
The Red Astrachan, Haas, Fameuse, Tallman Sweet and St. 
Lawrence, rank next best among those varieties which are in 
general cultivation, and they stand for hardiness about in the 
order they are named. The Siberian crabs and a number of 
the hybrids or seedlings of the Siberian have generally proved 
to be perfectly hardy. I also tind that some other varieties 
have come through all right where they had been grafted upon 
crab stocks. I have heard of a few instances where the Harly 
Harvest, Northern Spy and Perry Russet did not show any 
injury. 
The fire blight has prevailed quite extensively, and is doing 
serious damage to the varieties of Siberian crab. The losses 
of last winter to the apple and the blight which is affecting 
both the crab and apple trees to a certain extent have had a 
tendency to discourage a few of our farmers, but the profes- 
sional horticulturists and many of the amateur fruit growers 
appear to be hopeful, and freely express the opinion that in 
spite of losses and failures we are gaining ground, and that 
our efforts will eventually be crowned with success. Doubt- 
Jess we shall learn lessons from the past year’s experience that 
will prove of great advantage to us in the future. I received 
‘but two reports of orchards that did not sustain any serious 
injury from the winter. One in Winona county, which is on 
a high ridge of land, seeded down to clover, and with trees 
mulched around with wheat straw to the depth of one foot, 
contained sixty-five trees, in varieties nurserymen term hardy, 
and lost but one tree,a Dominie. The other was in Fillmore 
county, on high prairie land cultivated in corn. The stocks 
left standing over winter came through splendidly. Orchards 
have generally fared best that were not cleanly cultivated. 
As the greatest losses arose from root-killing, (and much of 
that could have been prevented by mulching) this meeting 
should take a positive stand and prompt action upon the mat- 
ter, and propose some method by which hardy roots and 
stocks for grafting and budding upon may be raised by our 
nurserymen, and in quantities sufficient to meet our present 
requirements. 
SUMMER MEETINGS. 
The officers of the society did not deem it to be expedient 
